NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Futures and Proposition Odds

–The Stanley Cup playoffs bring the intensity from the opening round due to the highly competitive nature of the NHL.

–The Washington Capitals are the favorite to win the Stanley Cup.

The names and teams may change but the tone of the NHL playoffs always stays the same. It’s a downright ridiculously competitive and intense fight to the finish between 16 teams looking to win the venerable Stanley Cup. The competitive level of the NHL is off the charts and that’s clearly evident in the first round matchups. Simply put, there are no ‘easy outs’ for any team. In the NBA, you’ll often see teams and players ‘dog it’ during the first round against an overmatched opponent. In the NHL, there just aren’t any ‘overmatched opponents’ for top teams in the first round.

Take the Chicago Blackhawks, who are one of the top choices to win the Stanley Cup. They’re coming off a great season in which they amassed 109 points and finished with the best record in the West. And what’s their ‘reward’ for all of that hard work? A first round matchup against the feisty Nashville Predators. The Predators are erratic but when they’re on their game they’re as good as any team in hockey. They’ve also got the second best home record in the Western Conference going 24-9-8 at the Bridgestone Arena. Best case scenario for the Blackhawks–they’ll face two brutal battles on the Preds’ home ice.

In the Eastern Conference, the Presidents’ Trophy winning Washington Capitals don’t have it much easier. They get to face the Toronto Maple Leafs who have suddenly become a very dangerous and capable team thanks in large part to presumptive Rookie of the Year Auston Matthews. In what might be the most competitive matchup in the first round the Pittsburgh Penguins (50-21-11 for 111 points) will face the Columbus Blue Jackets (50-24-8 with 108 points). Out West, the Minnesota Wild have to face the St. Louis Blues and this is a matchup in which the lower seeded team actually won the season series (St. Louis took 3 of 5 meetings from Minnesota).

As usual, we’ll get it started with an extensive menu of futures and proposition odds for the Stanley Cup playoffs. There’s also some proposition betting odds for the 2017 NHL Draft as the league will conduct their annual draft lottery on (most likely) April 29:

Conference to win the NHL Draft Lottery and receive the first overall pick?

Western Conference: -250
Eastern Conference: +210

Will a Canadian based team (Vancouver or Winnipeg) win the NHL Draft Lottery and receive the first overall pick?

Yes: +850
No: -1250

Will the Colorado Avalanche receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: -150
No: +130

Will the Vancouver Canucks receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +175
No: -215

Will the Las Vegas Golden Knights receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +185
No: -225

Will the Arizona Coyotes receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +185
No: -225

Will the New Jersey Devils receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +250
No: -300

Will the Buffalo Sabres receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +300
No: -350

Will the Detroit Red Wings receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +350
No: -425

Will the Dallas Stars receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +450
No: -600

Will the Florida Panthers receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +450
No: -600

Will the Los Angeles Kings receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +550
No: -750

Will the Carolina Hurricanes receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +850
No: -1150

Will the Winnipeg Jets receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +1050
No: -1450

Will the Philadelphia Flyers receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +1250
No: -1750

Will the Tampa Bay Lightning receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +1550
No: -2150

Will the New York Islanders receive one of the top three picks in the NHL Draft Lottery?

Yes: +1750
No: -3500

About the Author: Jim Murphy

For more than 25 years, Jim Murphy has written extensively on sports betting as well as handicapping theory and practice. Jim Murphy has been quoted in media from the Wall Street Journal to REASON Magazine. Murphy worked as a radio and podcasting host broadcasting to an international audience that depended on his expertise and advice. Murphy is an odds making consultant for sports and 'non-sport novelty bets' focused on the entertainment business, politics, technology, financial markets and more.